Pearl River Junction: The Sons of Daniel Shaye

15

After they left the sheriff’s office, they went across the street to a hotel Cotton recommended to them. They got two rooms, with Thomas and James sharing one. After they stowed their gear in their rooms, they met in the lobby to go and get something to eat. Again, the restaurant they went to was recommended by the sheriff.

Once they were seated and had ordered their food, James asked, “Why did you let him get away with that, Pa?”

“Get away with what?”

The diners surrounding them stared curiously at the strangers, but went back to their meals fairly quickly. The Shayes simply ignored the stares.

“He knows the girl, but he ain’t tellin’ us where she is.”

“He wants to check with her first,” Thomas said. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

“But he has the letter,” James said. “He knows she wrote to Pa askin’ for help.”

“Months ago,” Shaye said. “Maybe she’s changed her mind.”

“That would mean we came all this way for nothin’.”

“Not for nothing,” Shaye said. “Even if she doesn’t want our help anymore, I still want to find out if her child is Matthew’s.”

“So how long do we wait?” James asked.

“Don’t be in such a rush, James,” Shaye said. “We’re here and the sheriff knows we’re not going anywhere.”

The waiter came over carrying three plates laden with huge steaks and generous portions of vegetables.

“Eat your food,” Shaye told James. “When the sheriff knows what to tell us, we’ll hear from him.”

James hesitated, but when his father and brother bent to the task of consuming their meal, he followed.

Sheriff Riley Cotton lived in a small white house at the northern end of town. He could tell by the delicious smells filling the house that his wife was hard at work in the kitchen, baking and probably preparing supper. He found her there, wearing one of her many hand-made aprons.

“Smells great,” he said as he entered the kitchen, “but then everything you make smells great.”

She turned her head so he could kiss her and said, “Peach cobbler for dessert.”

He kissed his wife, who he loved dearly even after twenty years of marriage. Marion Cotton had always been supportive of his chosen career and had moved from town to town without complaint—until they’d arrived in Pearl River Junction five years ago. She told him after only a year of living there that she never wanted to move again.

“What brings you home two hours early?” she asked. “I wasn’t expecting you until supper.”

“Dan Shaye and his sons rode into town today,” he told her.

She stopped what she was doing and turned to face him, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Have you told Belinda?”

“That’s what I came home to do,” he said. “Is she around?”

“I think she’s out back with Little Matt.”

“I better talk to her and see if she still wants to see him—and his sons,” he said.

She grabbed his arm before he could leave the kitchen.

“Why did they come, Riley?”

“Well, they say they came to help her,” he answered, “that is, if she still needs help.”

“Will they take her away?” she asked. “And the baby?”

“I don’t know, Marion,” he said. “I guess we’ll all find that out at the same time.”

“I couldn’t bear it if—” she started, but then stopped abruptly and released his arm.

“I know,” he said. “Believe me, I know.”